


In the Aftermath of Glory

by Tsukino_Akume



Series: Forsaken Guardians [1]
Category: Power Rangers in Space
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-23 18:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/929728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsukino_Akume/pseuds/Tsukino_Akume
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andros struggles to survive in the wake of KO-35's surrender. In a twist of fate, Zhane wakes up early.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Phantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantom/gifts).



> **Disclaimer/:** It's clearly not mine, since canon wasn't nearly this dark.  
>  **Warnings/:** Angst  
>  **Author's Notes/:** So my headcanon of Andros' pre-inSpace days just got a whole lot darker. This could technically be canon right up until the third scene. Take from that what you will.
> 
> This started as a one-shot. And then suddenly it had a chapter two. ~~Damn you, rosabelle!~~

There were four distinct moments in his life that Andros would never, ever forget. The first was the sound of his sister's screams as her kidnapper carried her away. The second, when the smoke cleared from the explosion, leaving behind Zhane's body and all he could hear was the silence in his head where his partner's voice used to be. The third, finding his childhood home in ruins, his father's body buried beneath the rubble.

The fourth moment came when he returned from laying his father to rest. 

He was still covered in dirt and dried tear tracks, his face smeared from trying to wipe them away. The shovel he'd used had still been in his hand. All he could think of was taking a long, hot shower, and going down to Medbay to sit with Zhane. 

"Andros," D.E.C.A. spoke up, sounding oddly subdued. "There is a transmission that requires your attention." 

He almost told her to store it until tomorrow. He was tired and worn, and he didn't have the energy or patience to deal with anyone right now. Not the Council pushing at him for updates about the war, not the well-wishers or reporters wanting news about Zhane's condition. 

But he was the Red Ranger, and he couldn't afford to be selfish. He sighed, resisting the urge to prop himself against a chair and forced himself to stand at attention instead. His appearance couldn't be helped, unfortunately. "Thank you, D.E.C.A. Main screen." 

_"We, the High Council of KO-35, announce our planet's complete and unconditional surrender to Dark Spectre. We surrender our weapons, and hearby break all ties and responsibilities to the surviving member of the Neo-Kerova Rangers. To our new lord and master, the Great Dark Spectre, we offer the loyalty and services of our people. This statement is the will of the High Council, and the will of all surviving Kerovians. Long Live Dark Spectre!"_

When the white noise finally cleared from his head more than an hour later, he found himself sitting on the floor, staring blankly at nothing. His breathing was even, and he wasn't shaking - although there were signs that he might have been at some point. More than anything else, he felt numb. 

_What ... what am I supposed to do now, Zhane? What happens now?_

He needed a shower, he realized finally. He was still filthy. He needed a shower, and he needed to sit with Zhane. 

Anything after that could wait. 

****

Awareness returned to him slowly. 

It started with feelings. Vague gusts of _worry_ and _uncertainty_. _Fear, desperation, need_. Then a devastating sense of _loss_. 

The invading feelings opened up what was left of his mind. He wasn't conscious exactly; it was more that he was aware of himself, that he was alive and alone. He wandered through an endless mental darkness, trying to find something to latch on to, that could pull him out of this place. Anything that could give him a direction to follow. 

That was when the voice started. 

_We're going to have to find fuel and supplies at some point. We'll be all right for a little while, but I'm not sure ... Will other teams help us? I don't know what happens to rogues. I don't know how to -_

_I don't know what to do, Zhane. I can't do this without you._

_Please help me._

_Please wake up._

_Please._

_Please._

He tried to follow the voice, but it seemed to come from everywhere all at once. The feelings that came with it could give him some direction every once in awhile, but it ***hurt*** to be near them. The pain was intense, almost crippling, and had driven him further away from the voice more than once just because he couldn't handle it anymore. 

There was no sense of time in the darkness. There was no way to judge how long he'd been here, or even if he'd always been here. He didn't think that was true, not when the voice seemed to know him - or at least acted like it did. But he couldn't remember what brought him here, or why he couldn't leave. All he knew was the voice. And the voice became all that mattered to him anymore. 

_Our supplies are getting low. I went to the Syrian Space Patrol Delta for help. It turns out that they don't accept Rangers without a protectorate. I tried asking to land and look for a third party supplier, but they uh, they threatened to shoot me down if I tried._

_I went to the Space Patrol Delta in Rynsa ..._

_Tried Vector ..._

_Taeo ..._

_PN-356 ..._

_I went to Obsidian Market to get supplies today. ... The good news is, we're stocked up for awhile. The bad news is that I really hope I don't have to morph until the break in my arm heals._

_I don't ... I don't know how much longer I can take this, Zhane. People avoid me, other Rangers are shunning me ... all I have left are you and D.E.C.A. I don't know even how much longer I'll be able to morph. Power Rangers have to have something to protect, right? What happens if the Power decides that I'm ... that I don't ..._

_I'll protect you_ , he thought fiercely. _We'll protect each other. We don't need anyone else._

A burst of silver light shot through the darkness. 

****

Someone was watching him. 

Usually the feeling of being watched instantly set his nerves on edge and sent him into fight-or-flight mode. But this feeling was different. It was softer, somehow. Comforting. Like he was being protected, watched _over_. 

_I must be dreaming_ , he thought muzzily. _Only Zhane watches me that way._

" ... Who's Zhane?" 

His eyes shot open. 

Zhane was sitting on the side of his bed, watching him with a curious tilt to his head. There was no sign of any of his remaining injuries; he appeared to be completely healed. He was even wearing one of his ship uniforms, except that for some reason he'd forgotten his jacket. 

"I'm dreaming," he whispered. 

Zhane blinked at him. "Are you? Seems pretty real to me." 

It even ***sounded*** like Zhane. He blinked hard, swallowing the lump in his throat, and forced himself to nod. "It has to be a dream." 

"Why's that?" 

He closed his eyes, wishing he would hurry and wake up. "Because good things don't happen to me." 

A hand pressed against his cheek. It was surprisingly warm, calloused, and smelled like soap. His eyes opened again, and he stared in disbelief as Zhane continued to watch him with that same curious expression. "So I'm a good thing?" 

Tears welled in his eyes, and he tried to blink them away again. "The best thing." 

Zhane smiled brilliantly. 

_If this is a dream_ , he thought distantly as Zhane leaned down, pressing their lips together and he brought his arms up to pull him down into the bed, _Then I never want to wake up._

_Those are the best kind of dreams_ , Zhane whispered in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so I'm still going with my backstory that Zhane's parents and aunts and uncles were all the Kerova Rangers before he and Andros got morphers, and that he grew up on the Megaship.
> 
> ~~I swear I'm not on an amnesia kick lately.~~

It took six days to finally learn what his companion's name was.

To be fair, it was still a very enjoyable six days. He took great pleasure in learning everything about his new lover's body and personality. He learned that he was a creature of habit who kept trying to escape the bed at unholy hours of the morning to do things that couldn't possibly be that important so early in the day. He spent a great deal of time using the ship's computers to search for something and brooded constantly when given the chance. 

He also learned that he was easy to distract, and incredibly ticklish just behind his left ear. The word 'lover' made him blush a shade of red that rivaled the color of the shirt he was always wearing; happily, frequent use had no change on the effect. If anything, it only made him huff and pout, which was incredibly endearing. His lover seemed to pout a lot. 

From what he gathered, it was only the two of them on this ship. There was a disembodied voice called 'D.E.C.A.' who seemed to be a bit of a busybody, constantly trying to convince him to go to Medbay for 'an updated analysis of his condition'. (It was two days before he finally figured out she was the ship's computer.) He spent a lot of time avoiding her or distracting his lover from listening to her complains. He'd just escaped from that place; there was no ***way*** he was going back. 

Unfortunately ignoring D.E.C.A. just made her louder. 

They'd been eating breakfast together, playing footsie under the table while his lover blushed and tried to pretend not to notice, when she interrupted. "Andros. It has been six days since Zhane's awakening. It is of the upmost importance that he be brought to the medical bay so that I may assess his condition and make any necessary adjustments to his care." 

_Andros_ , he mused thoughtfully. _So that's his name_. "I'm fine," he protested aloud, making a face. "I don't need any 'adjustments'." 

Andros gave him a fondly exasperated look. "I know you hate checkups Zhane, but if D.E.C.A. thinks it's necessary ... " 

"It is ***not*** necessary," he argued. "I'm up and moving, aren't I? What more do you need?" 

"All known medical records state that Ranger Zhane is not allowed to make his own medical assessments," D.E.C.A. said primly. 

He shot a glare at the camera. "Says who?" 

"In chronological order, that notation has been added by the Yellow Kerova Ranger, Red Kerova Ranger, Pink Kerova Ranger, Blue Kerova Ranger, Black Kerova Ranger, Silver Kerova Ranger, and Red Neo-Kerova Ranger." 

There was a muffled snort from across from him, and he scowled at Andros. "Traitor." 

"It's not my fault you're a difficult patient," Andros retorted, trying and failing to hide a smile. 

"The same notation has been made on the Red Neo-Kerova Ranger's medical file." 

"Hah!" he crowed, pointing at him triumphantly. "You're no better than I am, so you can't order me to go!" 

"I could order you as your team leader." 

He snorted. Yeah, like he cared about that. 

There was a long pause. 

Andros stared at his cup for a moment before looking up at him from under his eyelashes, his eyes full of worry. "Please, Zhane?" he asked quietly. "For me?" 

_... Damn it._

"Fine," he grumbled. "But you owe me." 

A very slight smile flickered across Andros' face. "I'm sure you'll think of something I can do to make it up to you." 

****

"There is an unusually high concentration of energy in the Silver Ranger's body," D.E.C.A. announced. 

He blinked, only a little surprised that she'd actually found something to complain about. "But isn't that a good thing?" 

"The energy reads at a level that exceeds normal Ranger standards. Adjustments to the Silver Astro Morpher are highly recommended. In addition, his brainwave patterns are erratic and fluctuating." 

Andros frowned at the monitor displaying the latest scan. "What does that mean?" 

"And do we care?" Zhane added, grinning at Andros when he glared at him. 

There was a pause. "This particular pattern resembles those found in amnesia patients." 

_Amnesia ..._ He tried the word, feeling out how it sounded in his head, and frowned. "I don't think it's amnesia," he decided. 

Andros was staring at him. "You ... you don't ***think***?" he choked. 

He nodded. "Amnesia doesn't sound right." 

It was interesting to see how fast his lover could go from pale-faced to red. "And how is it supposed to sound?!" 

"How would I know? I don't have it." 

Andros' hands twitched for a moment, like he was trying to keep from strangling him. 

"I'm serious," he protested. "That word ... it doesn't feel like that's what's wrong with me. Sure, I don't remember some things - " 

"You ***what***?!" 

" - But I don't think it's amnesia." He frowned thoughtfully. "I still recognize that I know this place, and you. My name is familiar. Once you remind me of something, I remember it. I just don't remember until you remind me." 

Andros' jaw clenched, and huh, even that looked familiar. " ... And how is that not amnesia?" 

"Because someone with amnesia wouldn't remember anything. I do, just not right away." He paused. "And hitting me or storming off until you're not mad at me anymore isn't going to make that any better." Andros looked startled, and he pointed at him. "See? I do remember." 

Andros still looked furious, and suddenly he knew how to fix it. He slipped off the bed he'd been sitting on, approaching his lover slowly. Andros tensed again, and he lifted his hands, slowly sliding them over Andros' and squeezing gently. 

Andros swallowed. 

He smiled, releasing a hand and bringing it up to cup his face. "Hey," he murmured, leaning in to bump their foreheads together. 

"Hey," Andros whispered. 

"I'm here," he reminded him softly. "I'm awake, and I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere." 

Andros blinked hard. "You don't know that." 

"Sure I do." 

He backed away, shaking his head. "You don't know that, Zhane. You already ... you already almost - " 

"But I didn't," he interrupted, catching his face with both hands. "Listen to me, Andros. You said that you have nothing left to protect, right?" 

Andros flinched, staring at him with wide eyes. "How did you - " 

" ***Listen*** ," he insisted, bumping foreheads again as Andros fell silent. "You have me. We'll protect each other." 

Andros hesitated, looking torn. "I don't think it works that way, Zhane." 

"Then we'll make it work," he said firmly. "From now on, it's just you and me. That's our vow: you and me against the world." 

They stared at each other, nose to nose, for what felt like forever. 

"You and me," Andros said at last, raising an arm solemnly. Zhane crossed it with his own, knocking their wrists together. 

"Against the world," they said together.


End file.
